Cologne à la Russe vs Forbidden Elixir
Notes, accords, longevity, sillage, seasons and community ratings, side by side.
53%scent match
Some overlap
Quick verdict
Which one should you pick?
Cologne à la Russe takes 6 of 7 categories.
Cologne à la RusseChoose it for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear.
Forbidden ElixirChoose it for a citrus and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Cologne à la Russe6/7
Forbidden Elixir1/7
- Ratings & consensus
- Cologne à la Russe
- Community sentiment
- Cologne à la Russe
- Longevity
- Cologne à la Russe
- Sillage & projection
- Cologne à la Russe
- Value for money
- Cologne à la Russe
- Versatility
- Forbidden Elixir
- Note pyramid (duration)
- Not scored
- Fragranxe ranking
- Cologne à la Russe
Head-to-head breakdown
Every category side by side, with the winner called out.
Fragrance
Cologne à la RusseInstitut Très BienForbidden ElixirSly John's LabWinner
Ratings & consensus
Average rating and ownership split4.08/ 5 · 48 votes
Have 40%Had 13%Want 46%
3.60/ 5 · 25 votes
Have 36%Had 21%Want 43%
Category winnerCologne à la RusseRating weighted by vote count
Community sentiment
How voters split from love to hate46%Love
46%Like
3%Ok
6%Dislike
0%Hate
35 votes
28%Love
28%Like
24%Ok
16%Dislike
4%Hate
25 votes
Category winnerCologne à la RusseMost positive mix (25+ votes)
Longevity & sillage
0–100 community performance scores
Category winners
LongevityCologne à la Russe
SillageCologne à la Russe
Value for money
How fairly priced voters find itCategory winnerCologne à la RusseBest value score
Main accords
Strength of each scent family · outlined = shared by bothcitrus100%
aromatic88%
floral77%
iris65%
white floral53%
fresh spicy42%
citrus100%
musky88%
white floral77%
aromatic65%
amber53%
floral42%
Scent match53%Some overlap · both citrus, aromatic and white floral
Note pyramid (duration)
Top, heart and base, with how long each lasts when known · gold = sharedTop
LimeLemonBergamotCitron
Heart
VerbenaOrange BlossomLavenderRosemary
Base
NeroliAmbrette (Musk Mallow)IrisBenzoin
Top15-30 mins
BergamotAmbrette (Musk Mallow)Lemon
Heart2-4 hrs
Orange Blossom
Base6-8+ hrs
MuscenoneAmbroxanPatchouli
InformationalShared notesLemon, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Ambrette (Musk Mallow). Durations are only published for Forbidden Elixir, so this is not scored.
Seasons & time of day
Relative to each fragrance's best seasonSpring86
Summer100
Fall43
Winter14
Day100
Night36
Spring100
Summer100
Fall86
Winter14
Day100
Night43
Category winnerForbidden ElixirMost year-round
Who wears it
Gender appeal votesInformationalProfile onlyAudience is not scored
Ranking & credits
Fragranxe overall rank, nose and launchOverall rank#18,122
PerfumerNot listed
Launched—
Reviews8
Overall rank#49,190
PerfumerAne Ayo
Launched—
Reviews1
Category winnerCologne à la RusseHigher overall rank
In a nutshell
Description & review snapshotCologne à la Russe is a refined leather fragrance that reimagines historical cologne formulas. It opens with a sharp burst of citron, lime, and bergamot before transitioning into aromatic herbs like verbena and rosemary. The base settles into a sophisticated skin scent composed of neroli, iris, and benzoin, making it …
Reviews →Forbidden Elixir by Sly John's Lab bursts open with a bright splash of tart lemon and juicy bergamot, instantly giving off the clean feeling of sunshine hitting chilled citrus peel. Within twenty minutes, a sweet, sunny orange blossom emerges to smooth away any sharp edges, blending into the vegetal warmth of ambrette…
Reviews →InformationalRead bothTaste is personal
How we score: ratings blend public fragrance ratings with Fragranxe member votes; longevity, sillage, value and sentiment are community vote scores, and season bars are relative to each fragrance's strongest season. Categories with too little data are shown but not scored. The scent match weighs accord overlap (60%) and shared notes (40%). More in the FAQ.
Guided comparison
Ask about this matchup
Get a practical answer grounded in the fragrances currently selected.
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Common questions
Straight answers from the data above.
Which is better, Cologne à la Russe or Forbidden Elixir?
Cologne à la Russe takes 6 of 7 categories. Cologne à la Russe is rated 4.08/5 from 48 votes; Forbidden Elixir is rated 3.60/5 from 25 votes. Choose Cologne à la Russe for a citrus and aromatic character. Wins on ratings & consensus, community sentiment and longevity. Best in summer, daytime wear. Choose Forbidden Elixir for a citrus and musky character. Wins on versatility. Best in spring, daytime wear.
Which lasts longer, Cologne à la Russe or Forbidden Elixir?
Cologne à la Russe lasts longest (Cologne à la Russe 71/100, Forbidden Elixir 56/100), based on community performance votes.
Which projects more, Cologne à la Russe or Forbidden Elixir?
Cologne à la Russe projects furthest (Cologne à la Russe 54/100, Forbidden Elixir 43/100), based on community performance votes.
Do Cologne à la Russe and Forbidden Elixir smell similar?
Some overlap: a 53% scent match on Fragranxe. Both share citrus, aromatic and white floral accords. Common notes include Lemon, Bergamot, Orange Blossom and Ambrette (Musk Mallow).
Is Cologne à la Russe or Forbidden Elixir better for summer or winter?
For summer, Cologne à la Russe is the stronger pick. For winter, Cologne à la Russe is the stronger pick. Cologne à la Russe suits daytime wear; Forbidden Elixir suits daytime wear. Based on community season votes.
What are the notes in Cologne à la Russe and Forbidden Elixir?
Cologne à la Russe has top notes of Lime, Lemon, Bergamot and Citron, heart notes of Verbena, Orange Blossom, Lavender and Rosemary, a base of Neroli, Ambrette (Musk Mallow), Iris and Benzoin. Forbidden Elixir has top notes of Bergamot, Ambrette (Musk Mallow) and Lemon, heart notes of Orange Blossom, a base of Muscenone, Ambroxan and Patchouli.
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